La Chola Viche

Review #1377; Rum #680

This Viche from Colombia is produced by Mercedes González Ibargüen, who learned Viche production from her mother. Mercedes and her dog sail upriver where they harvest the sugarcane from the sugarcane fields for 3-5 days at a time. After returning home, the sugarcane is ground in a mechanical mill in Virudó. Firewood is loaded into the stove to boil the sugarcane to separate the bagasse. It is then covered with a black leaf and left to ferment for 15 days before being bottled. Im going to link to the website I got this information from as they work with the Viche producers.

La Chola

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Distillery: Virudo Distillery

Bottler: La Chola

Region: Colombia

Still: Pot

ABV: 43%

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Nose: Rubber, Apple Cider Vinegar, Earthy, Sweetness, Plantain, Chalk, Guava

Palate: Light mouthfeel, Rubber, Earthy, Apple Cider Vinegar, Plantain, Chalk, Guava

Finish:  Medium length finish, Apple Cider Vinegar, Plantain, Rubber, Earthy, Chalk, Guava

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Rating: 6/10

This is a very good expression of Viche. It has a nice overall sweetness to it from the Plantain and Guava notes. A bit of the apple cider vinegar and rubber help to round it all into form for me.

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1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect